We have already cited the
symptoms and causes of senility, one by
one.696
We have explained that it is natural for the causes of senility to
affect the dynasty. All of them are natural in (a dynasty). If, then,
senility is something natural in (the life of) the dynasty, it must come
about in the same way natural things come about, exactly as senility
affects the temper of living beings. Senility is a chronic disease that
cannot be cured or made to disappear because it is something natural,
and natural things do not change.

Many a politically conscious person among the people of
the dynasty becomes alert to it and notices the symptoms and causes of
senility that have affected his dynasty. He con­siders it possible to
make that senility disappear. Therefore, he takes it upon himself to
repair the dynasty and relieve its temper of senility. He supposes that
(senility) resulted from shortcomings or negligence on the part of
former people of the dynasty. This is not so. These things are natural
to the dynasty. Customs (that have developed in the dynasty) prevent him
from repairing it. Customs are like a second nature. A person who, for
instance, has seen his father and the older members of his family wear
silk and brocade and use gold ornaments for weapons and mounts and be
inaccessible to the people in their salons and at prayer, will not be
able to diverge from the customs of his forebears in this respect. He
will not be able to use coarse dress and apparel and mingle with the
people. Custom would prevent him (from doing that) and expose him if he
were to do it. Were he to do it, he would be accused of craziness and
insanity for his brusque disregard of custom. There is the danger that
it would have bad consequences for his government.

One might contrast (this with) the disregard for custom
and opposition to it shown by the prophets. However, the prophets had
divine support and celestial help.

Group feeling has often disappeared (at the time the
dynasty grows senile), and pomp has taken the place it oc­cupied in the
souls of men. Now, when in addition to the weakening of group feeling,
pomp, too, is discontinued, the subjects grow audacious vis-a-vis the
dynasty, because the presumption of pomp remains.697
Therefore, the dynasty shields itself by holding on to pomp as much as
possible, until everything is finished.

At the end of a dynasty, there often also appears some
(show of) power that gives the impression that the senility of the
dynasty has been made to disappear. It lights up brilliantly just before
it is extinguished, like a burning wick the flame of which leaps up
brilliantly a moment before it goes out, giving the impression it is
just starting to burn, when in fact it is going out.

This should be considered, and one should not disregard
the wise planning that God employs in having His creation follow its
course toward the destiny He has determined for it. "Each term has a
book." 698